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Wednesday, February 15, 2012

RTW: Dropping the P-Bomb

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

This Week's Topic:

Kate Hart has it on good authority that Kody hates the word "panties," and Steph can't stand "supper."

What words do you absolutely hate? Which ones do you adore?

Words I adore?

I’m a word whore. Whenever I see a word like harangue or cacophony or anomaly, I latch onto it and beat the bloody heck out of it in a manuscript. Kidding. But I do have some favorites. Here are just a few

maladroit

assiduous

undulate

acerbic

licentious

And my all-time fave

conundrum

But I also like word sandwiches. I think anyone who’s read this blog even once will attest to the fact that gihugic has to be the most fantabulously created word out there. I also like boregasm (I’ve used this once or twice a lot) I’m also very into saying chill. And since I’ve been writing from a guy’s POV this past year and a half, junk and bro have infiltrated the ranks of favorites.

Um…I have a lot of favorite words. (Bet you couldn’t tell)

But words I hate?

I teach. In the past twenty years I’ve overheard conversations that should make my skin feel like I have bugs underneath it. For approximately fifteen Fridays every fall, I am right there on the sidelines with football players who do not know how to communicate their discontent without dropping a few a lot of F-bombs. My husband is an old school Animal House frat boy. I watch a lot of movies with Vince Vaughn and Will Ferrell. There’s not much I’m uncomfortable with.

So, it’s funny this road trip topic comes up this week because I wrote a word in my manuscript the other day that makes me cringe and want to curse every man on the planet every time I read it. It’s not the C-word which I will nevereverneverevernever use ever. But it’s close. I’ll give you a hint: it starts with a P and is synonymous with a female cat. Are you there yet?

*shudders*

If you’ve ever been around a bunch of high school football players when they’re losing, um…this is their word of choice. I hear it many other times. And it doesn’t particularly bother me a whole lot to hear other people say it. But me writing it?

*SHUDDERS*

I. Just. Can’t. Use it. It may be realistic, but yeah, okay…gotta draw the line somewhere.

So how about you? What words do you adore? Any that are cringe worthy?

Oh, and since I made you suffer through two paragraphs about that shudder-some word, let me point you to my ARC giveaway (click here). It’s open internationally and I’m giving away ARCs of Pandemonium, Froi of the Exiles, and more! Giveaway ends this Friday.

There is so much that is just great about this post! 'Boregasm' totally made me laugh, but I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to use it. I love your list of words that you like--they're all awesome. As for the p-word. Ick. So gross. I will never ever use that word or the c-word in any situation. Yuck. :-)

I probably used the "p" word to describe cats when I was a child (despite watching "Are You Being Served?" every week). Once I learned that *other* meaning, I don't think I ever used it for a cat again--except perhaps for juvenile laughs when at school. It's not a word I use now. Except perhaps when speaking of the female lead in the Bond movie "Goldfinger." And even then I squirm a bit.

What a fun post. I personally like the word colossal. I don't know why, I think it's because of the way my lips make that O shape and the way my tongue pushes against the back of my front teeth when I say it. Weird huh? Actually there are a lot of fun words that make your mouth do weird things. The P word does nothing for me in that sense.

I love the word macular. It's so crisp and fun to say. I also love darkling. I'm ... not sure why? I just do. Also, vivacious and effervescent top the list.And the p-word is terrible, though I agree not as bad as the c-word (worst word in the world).